As Javonte Williams’ Cowboys debut draws near, ‘Valedictorian-Tae’ is embracing new role – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Cowboys and Brian Schottenheimer are excited to see what they have in their veteran running back
Despite the lack of a preseason showcase, the Cowboys are confident in Williams’ ability to be the lead guy effectively against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday.
“I have no questions about it,” Schottenheimer said about Williams handling the workload of a starting running back.
There are reasons for Schottenheimer’s optimism — chief among them is how Williams answered one question the Cowboys had about him immediately.
Schottenheimer has been adamant through his first season as a head coach that film matters. A player is defined by what they put on tape, rather than what their reputation might be. That’s ultimately why the Cowboys went out and targeted Williams. They saw a 220-pound running back who played physically and could work in Schottenheimer’s offense.
It does matter, however, when a player’s reputation is backed up by what they show once they arrive in Dallas, like Williams’ did. Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams indicated that he heard Williams, in his words, was a “pro’s pro,” and someone who was a high-character guy. Williams said the NFL is a business, which means he approaches it with a business mentality.
“He’s as advertised,” Adams said.
Adams didn’t hear, however, about one of Williams’ best accolades. Williams graduated early from Wallace-Rose Hill High School in Teachey, North Carolina. He was named valedictorian there after finishing with a 4.6 GPA. His lowest grade ever, reportedly, was a 97.
“I call him Valedictorian-Tae,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. “That’s what he is … the guy plays smart at running back, and he can make plays, and I’m super excited for him to play.”
With Kenny Clark’s addition, UCLA becoming pipeline for Cowboys DTs – Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com
UCLA becoming the preferred school for Cowboys defensive tackles.
When Kenny Clark walked through the doors at The Star for the first time last week, one of the first guys he saw was rookie defensive tackle Jay Toia.
It might have been the first time Clark had officially met Toia, but he certainly didn’t need to introduce himself.
“No way, man I’ve seen his picture up on the wall for four years,” Toia said of Clark. “He was an All-American and so those guys are honored up there.”
And ‘there’ would be UCLA, which is proving to be a breeding ground for defensive tackles for the Cowboys.
Not only is Clark, who was traded by the Packers in the Micah Deal deal, a product of UCLA, but he joins two other defensive tackles on the Cowboys who were former Bruins in Osa Odighizuwa and Toia, a seventh-round pick this year.
“It’s cool to be able to play with all those guys,” said Clark, who is entering his 10th year and left UCLA long before Odighizuwa and Toia were on campus. “I walked into the meeting room and Coach (Aaron Whitecotton) was like, ‘Man, this has got to be the first time there has been three UCLA guys in the same room.’ So yeah, that’s dope. It’s cool to have those guys.”
Of the three, Clark is certainly the most accomplished, having played nine years with the Packers and earning three Pro Bowl selections. That certainly got Odighizuwa’s attention when he was a standout for the Bruins.
“They put the NFL guys on the wall at UCLA, so seeing Kenny up there and knowing what type of talent came from UCLA and seeing what’s possible, it’s definitely something that motivated me,” Odighizuwa said. “I remember thinking, ‘Man, I’m trying to get to where he’s at.’ It’s a pretty cool full-circle moment.”
Former Cowboys RB, preseason star gets workout with Broncos – Zach Dimmitt, Cowboys on SI
The reasoning behind why Sean Payton would want to have a try out with Deuce Vaughn is pretty obvious.
Dallas elected to keep Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and rookie Jaydon Blue on the team’s initial 53-man roster, while seventh-round rookie Phil Mafah will begin the season on IR.
The odd man out was Deuce Vaughn, who was cut after never quite finding his role in two seasons with the team after being a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
However, he could soon be beginning his next chapter in the NFL.
Per reports from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Vaughn worked out with the Denver Broncos on Tuesday as he looks to land a spot on the Week 1 roster or the practice squad, though the latter is more likely.
Should he end up playing under Broncos head coach Sean Payton, Vaughn could have the opportunity to once again embrace the Darren Sproles comparisons he has received since his collegiate days.
Like Sproles, Vaughn starred for the Kansas State Wildcats as an undersized back with tons of offensive versatility. Payton, of course, coached Sproles for three seasons with the New Orleans Saints and could use Vaughn in similar fashion should he join the team.
Report: Dallas Cowboys negotiating with Tyler Smith on new deal – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys
After getting a deal done with DaRon Bland, the front office might be trying to squeeze in one more deal before the season kicks off.
The Dallas Cowboys appear to be making good on their word. In the aftermath of the Micah Parsons trade to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys made it a point to say that they were going to utilize the savings on him (as in savings from the deal they did not give him which led to the trade) on other players. Given how the Cowboys have delayed deals of this variety in recent memory there were plenty of fans who rolled their eyes.
This past Sunday the Cowboys gave an extension to cornerback DaRon Bland, which suggested that maybe they have turned a new leaf (one of those things Jerry Jones infamously said he was waiting to see fall). Given that Bland is in his first window of eligibility for an extension (just barely as the season is about to begin, but still counts) this was a bit shocking.
It appears that the Cowboys may have liked the way that felt. According to Clarence Hill of DLLS the Cowboys are actively negotiating with offensive lineman Tyler Smith.
As Hill notes, an extension can be done with Tyler Smith at any time for the Cowboys, but there would definitely be some statement to it being taken care of before kickoff. That would mark two big-time extensions for Dallas in the first week following the Parsons’ deal.
What’s more is that this would really suggest Dallas is taking things a bit differently. Smith, like Bland, is in his first window of extension eligibility. Unlike Bland though, Smith was a first-round pick and it has been a while since the Cowboys got to one of those with an extension at the earliest point of negotiation possible.
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